FUN in Funding

Just got back from Family Nurturing Center a Social Venture Partner Investee from 2013 to 2015 and still an Investee that the Partners feel connected to in many ways (in fact P.G. is now the Board Chairperson).  Today's purpose was to highlight what SVP Cincinnati does combined with showing a team that I worked hands on helping in their infrastructure.  Channel 12 was compiling a short video for Cincinnati Rotary in their selection for the Jefferson Award.

It is an honor for me and SVP Cincinnati to be named as one of three finalists this year.  Only through serendipitous discovery, did I come to realize that the other two finalists are connected to SVP Cincinnati through our Investee Investment and Fastpitch programs.  Wow - what a bonus -  everyone is a winner!

SVP Cincinnati "Invests Differently"  - and since June 2007 our 60 partners (and 40 Alumni) have helped over 100 Non-Profits in Cincinnati giving over $1.5Million in our time, talent and treasure. 

Our grant money is unrestricted; our coaching is strategic; our time is focused on critical non-profit back office needs freeing the non-profit's time for programs.  The organizations we touch become sustainable, efficient, strategic and better in their delivery of good to the community. 

One of the most important word for a non-profit is funding.  So how do you put FUN into the word funding?   That is the mystery of philanthropy - "The mystical mingling of the Joyful Giver, the Grateful Recipient and..... the Artful Asker".   Giving is serious business - deciding how to steward and avoid CAREless gifts. The real gift is the opportunity to serve - it takes two.  Giving was never meant to be a individual sport and joy multiplies exponentially with a team.  

Discover your return on life - join with others in giving.

Morning Meditation - Heaven Board #14

This is the picture of the quiet meditation environment I am blessed to have each morning.

On Friday October 13, 2006 (yes a lucky day for me), I took a nudge suggestion from Pastor Greg Stover (a God Wink) to begin a spiritual journal.  About a year later (Dec. 3, 2007) I began a Gratitude Book (see my blog Dec. 3, 2012 Grateful Place).  The fountain pen (now a collection of four) and the pendulum of sand with my newly acquired Sisyphus table, add to the ambiance of the sun that streams into my window each morning.  

A Tim Keller sermon referenced our quest for peace - flourishing.  He said that the Hebrew word Shalom can be translated as peace and flourishing - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I believe that on this world we only get a glimpse of that and never 100%.  Everyone is deficient in one, if not all three, of these areas.  Yet,  we all need to find the tools, the visuals, the environment, the best attempt at the moment that provides that glimpse of Shalom.

Find yours - share yours.  Be at Peace.   Another glimpse of Heaven.

Sisyphus Delight

First it was a surprise gift and Christmas - then a shipping delivery on Valentines Day - a 22 inch Cherry Metal Side Table - a beautiful Kinetic piece of art, technology, and design merged in stunning meditative beauty.  It can't really be described with words - so watch the video:

I discovered this art at T.&L. B.'s  house about a year ago and was totally envious.  Now, the side table version sits in my office as yet another gadget in my collection.  It's almost hard to get work done if you happen to glance over at it.   The mystery of the desire to watch the art in action draws you into a meditative state.  

From Sisyphus Industries   (invented and owned by a good friend of T.B.),  this artwork is a must have!  Now for the real detective and Ancient Literature buff - look up Sisyphus :)

Volatility in my Blood

For less than a month, I have been testing my blood glucose levels.  As an experiment to understand, in a small way, the intrusion of mandatory activities that a Type 1 Diabetic must perform, I decided to buy a glucose monitor (Accu Chek Aviva Plus) and the necessary strips, lancets, and control solution.  

Today's rude awakening of the cost of test strips occurred when I ran out this morning and drove immediately to Walgreens to buy another set of 50. I was not using any insurance card for this purchase.

The pharmacist rang up the ticket - $109.99.   I nearly fell over (my blood sugar must have dropped suddenly)  since I had spent only  $22.95 for my first set of 50 test strips from Amazon.com.  And I had another 50 test strips on order for $15.00    How could there be a variation of over 7 times the cost?

That led me to an internet search to understand Why Test Strips Cost so Much -  $2.20 a strip.  Should I be upset with "Big Pharma", insurance subsidies, or the drug retailers?   The marginal manufacturing cost is less than $0.15.  But the technology needed (R&D) and the quality necessary (and different by vendor) is evident in testing the various Pharmaceutical companies.  In fact, this research raised my awareness that not all strips read accurately, there is significant potential user misuse (wrong strips, expired strips, etc.) and recalibrating and checking your monitor and batch of strips is a necessary part of the process.  Even the need for  a backup monitor is a good idea.

Now that Jenna has a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) from DexCom, we have found several times where it's accuracy does not match her stick glucose monitor.  As a Statistician this has heightened my awareness of the whole subject of false positive readings and variations.   When your monitor reads 100 -  that really means 80 - 120.  The FDA requires more precision at the lower level but: " For results below 75 mg/dl: 95% of test results must be within plus or minus 15 points of the actual blood glucose level. So a reading of 70 means 55 to 85."

So - there is much to learn in this world of Type 1 Diabetes - physical, emotional, and ----  financial.
I guess volatility occurs in all the areas - glucose readings, confusion about data, and cash register/pocket book impact.


PS -  Why Test Strips Cost so Much - Part 2